October 2021
Closing the skills gap
Education systems need to keep up with the world’s rate of change to close our widening skills gap. Here’s what they can do
The LEGO Foundation
Blink and you’ll miss it: that’s how fast the world of work is changing
New careers and new skills rise to the top of employers’ most-wanted lists all the time. It makes heading into grown up life an even bigger adventure - and puts even more pressure on schools and education systems to prepare their pupils. Unfortunately, there’s no textbook or lesson plan for that. And the gap between what employers want and the skills potential employees have is growing. The good news is children have the seeds of those skills inside them from the day they’re born. To develop them, they need the space to learn through play – which is how they learn best. That means remodeling our education systems to keep up with our fast-changing world.
Four ways we can give every child the chance to learn through play
There are four big things educators, governments, and policymakers can do to give every child the chance to learn through play – and develop the breadth of skills that go with it. You can dive into the details in our report, but here’s a quick summary.
1. We need to reform education policies
2. We must invest in evidence
3. We need to turn data into progress
4. We have to work together
Explore more
How play unlocks essential skills
We can’t prepare children for every possible future. But we can give them space to hone the skills they need to thrive.
Play boosts wellbeing for life
Better mental health. More resilience. A love of learning that lasts a lifetime. All ways that play boosts wellbeing from childhood.
Play is for everyone, everywhere
Play is how children learn naturally. That’s what makes it so powerful, and why it’s so important to make room for play.